Howies opinions:

In some recording somewhere, David Crosby (of Crosby Stills and Nash fame) claimed to be the worlds most opinionated man, I am out to prove him wrong and claim that title for myself, here are some opinions, revues and some other......... well just other !

movie and book revue:

Note I am not a big book reader that is to say that I read only a few books a year.

Ratings *** = fantastic brilliant

** = ok didn’t fall asleep, read the book

* = boring. Watched  the movie, read the book but boring

ZZ = fell asleep halfway through. Threw the book in the bin.

If you want to loan the books that I have reviewed, please Email, a deposit is requested.

Bill Bryson’s book… A brief history of nearly everything

A big book and a definite ***, Bryson has a way of talking to you and a very interesting way of dealing with complex topics, I have the hard back version that is full of pictures, my advice is that if you are going to read a big book, get the one with pictures, the investment is well worth it.

Video, “All the Kings men:

I rate this movie *

The dialogue is the only good part,  the lead guy, delivers great political speeches. The plot  involves the old actor that plays Hanibal Lecter, (cant think of his name)  well what plot ?, the film moves at the pace of a Thruster with a flat tire !, its  a silly plot anyway about gathering dirt on a politician, so what, we get that most nights on the evening news, I gave up ¾ of the way through.

Video, "In the Cut, *** a brief appearance from Kevin Bacon but mainly stars Meg Ryan, lots of Meg Ryan, and I mean all of her !!  this is a raunchy but  irritating film to watch but nevertheless brilliant, “brilliant and irritating”……… mmm, you may find it in the weekly hire section of your local Vid store.

Anyone out there seen a film called Joanna, it was made in the 60's and it was one of the first appearances of Donald Sutherland, I would like to get a copy. Email me at al@spot.com.au if you have any idea what I am talking about.

Book… 1421 * 

This is a weird history thing about how the Chinese sailed around… well just about everywhere, some people  believe this is fact, perhaps 1% of it, in my opinion,  may be, the author would have us believe that since 1421, the ocean level has risen 1.8m ? I have seen heaps of paintings of Venice at about this time and they don’t show this so the question is….if this is crap, what else is?. I read the entire book as it held my attention but that’s about it.

Book…. Captain Bligh's second chance, *

this is about Blighs return trip to the South Pacific and Fiji after the Bounty deal last century, it’s a bit slow but interesting.

Book... Bligh's portable nightmare ***

Its not that I am obsessed with books written about the sea but after the mutiny on the Bounty, Bligh and about 15 seamen from the Bounty where set adrift in a 20 ft long boat, they sailed it  from Pitcairn or near there to New guinea, Bligh did not loose a single man on the trip but a few died soon after either because they where sick from the trip, just sick or got sick from being in New guinea. The book is great reading, its a brilliant real life adventure  and well written. Its interesting to note that the main reason they survived the trip or ordeal you might say, was because they had almost continuous storms and rain and so they had plenty of fresh water, had they had lots of sunshine they would almost certainly have perished.  They almost had a second mutiny in the long boat as the sailors argued over the small amount of food they had. The book is hard to get hold of, I got a copy from Sydney  public Library book shop.

Pacific Flight  by P G Taylor  ***

This book details the first pacific crossing from Australia to the USA in a single engine aircraft, brilliant reading, the book is very hard to get however, I got a copy from a guy called “ the book detective”, he can get almost any book, so he says,  cost me about $90 and worth every cent. It gives a great insight into early airborne navigation. I am planning to put excerpts on the web page if P G Taylor's daughter, Gay, she lives in Evans Head NSW, and organizes the Great Eastern Fly-in at Christmas, (on this year so i believe) will give me permission.

Local Restaurants in the Ballina Byron area:

Wicked *** BYO  located opposite the Ballina Council offices, this is run by a good friend of ours and a past LightWing owner John Dennis and his partner Sue, they recently won a local award for their skills in the kitchen, the service is great, meals are brilliant value, definitely the best in Ballina, please book in advance, they are open most nights but not Sunday lunch.

Fish Heads Byron Bay,***BYO  almost on the beach at the Byron Bay car park, great seafood, good service, fresh ocean breezes, great view if you sit in the front part, I recommend the seafood spaghetti, yes, definitely book ahead, book a table in the front part unless it’s a cold winters day as they have limited heating, on a cold day book inside.

There are some rules like when breakie finishes but that’s about it.

The Balcony * Main street Byron Bay This is  hit and miss in my opinion, it can be great but the service can also be a bit slow, its licensed, most of the food is sort of pickey, little bits and pieces. A meat ball here, a bit of Tofu there, some "rocket" . My cousin says rocket grows by the side of the freeway in Melbourne... ! Its a family, rocket ... joke thing....Nice place when the sun is shining in late on a winters Sunday afternoon, probably best if you go with a small group, you look out over the roof tops in B Bay.

Cafe 29,** located under the Ramada Hotel Ballina, great for lunch, nice view of the Richmond river

The Beach café ** BYO without doubt the best location in Australia right on the beach, watch the whales and dolphins,

on a nice day, on a cold windy day, forget it, they make no effort to stop the cold wind whistling up your skirt or trousers, food can be ok service is usually a bit slow, book for lunch, great place for breakie.

The kiosk on the beach side of the Lennox Head lifesaving club,***  BYO open weekends only, this is the best kept secret in town    great place for breakfast or lunch Sat and Sunday only, very casual and it is a kiosk so you get your own food when they yell  out your number but its right on the beach and the breakfasts are brilliant, go for a swim, feast on sausages, baked beans, bacon and eggs and hamburgers  and  BYO glass of wine for lunch.

Pancho Villa*** Lennox Head main street. Licensed great of you like Mexican, excellent value also, brilliant takeaways, I recommend Chimmy -changers, beef and chicken, get one of each between  to  share between 2, a brilliant feed for less that 20 bucks.

The Lennox head pub has a 2 restaurants. Both get *** Well sort of, the one upstairs called Rubies overlooks the ocean, just fantastic on a balmy summers evening a bit nippey in winter if they leave the doors open.  Food is good, service is also good, obviously licensed. Otherwise order a hamburger or fish and chips and they will bring it to you on the northern end of the balcony, it’s a little cheaper, downstairs on the corner they have a super cozy fire in winter and serve great fish, soups and stews at excellent prices. Booking at Rubies is a good idea weekends, Sat Sunday lunch, probably a good idea to book also, Melbourne Cup day is also great but definitely book for that one.

The Beach Hotel Byron Bay **  A super safe pub with security guys and galls everywhere, great family pub, an Icon of Aussie pubs but also a bit of a chermozle for a non smokers., they have great food, you have to go and get it with a vibrating number thing but they still allow smoking out side so with a northerly wind blowing,  the smoke drifts through the entire pub, well if nothing worse happens to you in B’Bay I guess you will be doing ok, the pub usually has sometimes good, sometimes brilliant, sometimes bloody awful live bands Sunday afternoons at about 4pm and other times when I am never there. They are re-vamping a restaurant inside the pub which WAS ritzy and expensive, should be open last quarter 07.

The Great Northern Hotel, *** great venue for music when its on, Vince Jones was the last gig I attended,  an open fire pizza oven makes the districts best pizza.

The Rails friendly bar ** also occasional great music, the rails is open, casual, safe and fun and the kitchen has good food all day, when the train stopped there it added to the entertainment, watching bleary eyed travelers swagger down the platform, but the rattler is long gone.  

Ty Garden Lennox Head main street (at the south end) *** this is a great place for dinner particularly in summer, sit outside in the garden, one very few venues that have brilliant entertainment, Shelly Hughes plays there occasionally and at other times that have a great duo playing acoustic music on Friday and Sat nights, best dish apart from Shelly !! is the prawns and seafood  in a pineapple shell.  A comment on restaurants in this region, almost none have good music, I am sure that they ask the youngest waitress to bring along some CD's and play them, its either Techno crap or just noise. Ty Garden is an exception however.

New one called the Chalk board located in Lennox Head down towards Lake Ainsworth, hav'nt tried this one, watch this space.

7 Mile Cafe, back a bit from the ChalkBoard, hav'nt been there since it changed hands,. watch this space, last time we went, the wine was very expensive, in fact the whole shooting match was pricey but you get that.

For a picnic on the 7 mile  beach at Lennox Head, drive around behind Lake Ainsworth and head north along the dirt road for a K or so then turn right  where the 4WD access road is located. Park here and walk down onto the beach (or drive if you have a good 4WD)  Prop about 50m south on the beach.  Recommend you  take  table, chairs a couple of umbrellas, esky, food, grog etc then watch the entertainment provided by the 4wheel drivers. Some get stuck in the sand, some come to assist then get stuck.......... its a crackup !